Abstract
John King Fairbank has called the field of Chinese history "still profoundly underdeveloped." Specialists are in short supply while misinformation abounds. The American public have alternately loved and feared the Chinese, but the time is long overdue for education leading to more rational than emotional responses to China. Such education about China can no longer be the exclusive province of the "China expert." There are simply not enough experts for all the schools in America. Some teaching about China will need to be done by faculty not specialized in Chinese studies. But to avoid misleading students or perpetuating unsubstantiated myths, teachers will need the support of the most reliable textbooks available. How to select such texts in Chinese history is the subject of this thesis.